Environment

Tens of thousands trek rugged trail to glimpse Iceland volcano

Tens of thousands of people have braved a steep, rugged trail in Iceland to catch a rare glimpse of an active volcano after it erupted last week, spewing red-hot lava into the sky.  . - 'Nature's power' - "It would be very easy for it to last as long as the previous one", vulcanologist Thorvaldur Thordarson told AFP. Last year, lava spewed from the nearby Mount Fagradalsfjall volcano for six months, the longest eruption in Iceland in more than 50 years.

Thu, Aug 11, 2022 2 mins read

Environment

Seoul seeks to ban basement flats after flooding deaths

South Korea's capital has moved to ban the cramped basement flats made famous by Oscar-winning movie "Parasite" after four people drowned in subterranean dwellings during flooding caused by record-breaking rains this week.. Four out of 11 people killed in this week's record downpours drowned after their basement flats were inundated with floodwater, officials have said.

Thu, Aug 11, 2022 1 mins read

Environment

Study on serotonin and depression sparks fierce debate

A controversy in the scientific community over a recent claims anti-depressants can be ineffective at treating depression has highlighted the difficulties in understanding mental health conditions.. "No mental health professional" would endorse the view that a complex condition like depression "stems from a deficiency in a single neurotransmitter", Cowen added.

Thu, Aug 11, 2022 2 mins read

Environment

Low Rhine deepens Germany's energy crisis

A hot, dry July made worse by climate change has raised the risk that the German economy could run aground as sinking Rhine waters make shipping along the river harder.. Further up the river in Kaub, a noted bottleneck for shipping where the Rhine runs narrow and shallow, the reference level is forecast to go below 40 centimetres by the end of the week and squeeze traffic further.

Thu, Aug 11, 2022 3 mins read

Environment

New wildfire outbreaks feared as blazes rage in France

French officials warned Thursday that flare-ups could cause a massive wildfire to further spread in the country's parched southwest, where fresh blazes have already blackened swathes of land this week. . Currently there are eight major wildfires raging in several parts of the country, and Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who is also heading to meet Gironde officials Thursday, said Sweden and Italy were sending fire-fighting aircraft to help. bla/js/jh/jv

Thu, Aug 11, 2022 1 mins read

Environment

Cheaper, changing and crucial: the rise of solar power

Generating power from sunlight bouncing off the ground, working at night, even helping to grow strawberries: solar panel technology is evolving fast as costs plummet for a key segment of the world's energy transition.. India pioneered the use of solar panels over canals a decade ago, reducing evaporation as they generate power.

Wed, Aug 10, 2022 4 mins read

Environment

Brazil farmers bet on environmentally friendly cotton

The road through Cristalina, Brazil is in the middle of the tropics, but the fields on either side look like they are covered in snow -- little white puffs of cotton stretching to the horizon.. The 27,000-hectare (67,000-acre) operation, run by agribusiness giant SLC Agricola, is like a small city in the middle of the countryside, with a banquet hall, a children's park, sports fields and housing for employees.

Wed, Aug 10, 2022 3 mins read

Environment

Brazil economy minister renews spat with France over Amazon

In decidedly undiplomatic language, Brazil's economy minister has renewed a spat with France over deforestation in the Amazon, telling the European nation it is becoming "irrelevant" and risks being told where to stick its criticism.. "You're becoming irrelevant to us," he said, insisting it was time for France to sign off on a proposed free-trade deal between the European Union and South American bloc Mercosur.

Wed, Aug 10, 2022 1 mins read

Environment

World's biggest ice sheet could cause massive sea rise without action: study

The world's biggest ice sheet could cause "several metres" of sea-level rise over centuries if the global temperature rises more than 2°C, according to a British study published Wednesday.. "Restricting global temperature increases to below the 2°C limit set by the Paris Climate Agreement should mean that we avoid the worst-case scenarios, or perhaps even halt the melting of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, and therefore limit its impact on global sea level rise," he added.

Wed, Aug 10, 2022 2 mins read

Environment

Even modest climate change imperils northern forests: study

Even relatively moderate heating and rainfall loss could dramatically alter the make-up of Earth's northern forests, risking their biodiversity rich ecosystems and undermining their ability to store planet-warming carbon pollution, researchers said Wednesday.. Reich said that warming was likely to impact boreal forests' ability to store carbon due to poorer plant regeneration.

Wed, Aug 10, 2022 2 mins read